I'll Never Forget
by Mimrose
Summary: On the anniversary of his best friend's death, Jou visits his grave and shares the day with him, while also giving him an update on his current life with Seto. A bit of angst. Puppyshipping. Seto x Jou, Yaoi. One-Shot.


**Hey all! Here is a one-shot from an idea that recently popped up in my mind. It's a little sad, but I think the ending is a fairly happy one! I hope you enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Note: If you've read my other story, Worth Fighting For, the Seth in this one-shot and the Seth in the story are two different people. **

Jou gently laid the bouquet of flowers on the grave, brushing away some of the dirt and dust that had collected on the tombstone. Lighting a few sticks of incense, he placed them in a small vase and set it to the side of the flowers.

Pulling his knees up towards his chest, Jou settled himself down in a sitting position. Smiling gently, he looked at the tombstone.

"Hey Seth. It's been a while since I've been here to see you, and I'm sorry for that. Everything has been kind of crazy so far, so I apologize for not coming sooner."

Jou had come to visit Seth alone, telling Seto that he was taking a day for himself. He had been worried, but Jou did his best to assure him that he would be fine.

_**Flashback**_

"_Seto? Can I talk to you for a second?"_

_Seto looked up from the paperwork he was reading, giving Jou a smile before setting it to the side. "Of course, Katsuya. What do you need?"_

_Jou rubbed his left arm with his right hand shyly. "I'm going to be having a…personal day tomorrow. I'll be leaving early in the morning, but I should be back in the afternoon at the latest."_

_Frowning, Seto looked worried. "Is everything alright?"_

_Smiling softly, Jou nodded. "Yes. Nothing bad is going on, so ya don't need to worry 'bout me."_

"_Alright. Are you sure that you don't need me to come with you? You know you can come to me about anything, puppy." Glancing over at the calendar next to his computer, Seto blinked. "Oh, I understand. Of course it's okay, Jou."_

_Jou leaned forward and kissed Seto's lips, brushing across them slowly a few times. "Thank you, Seto. I love you."_

_Seto smiled before pulling Jou in for another kiss. "Love you too."_

The breeze around Jou weaved gently through his hair, calming him down. He closed his eyes as he relaxed, his mind starting to fill with thoughts about his deeply missed friend.

Seth was Jou's childhood best friend. Ever since the two had met on their very first day in pre-school, they were inseparable. Seth was Jou's first friend, and Jou would never forget the kind and gentle boy that he was.

_**Flashback**_

_Jou looked up at the entrance to the pre-school while gripping his mother's hand tightly. Frowning, he tried not to cry as he stood in front of the gate. "Mommy, I don't want to leave you! I want to go home!"_

_His mother had quieted him down, telling him that it was going to be okay and that she would be back soon. Jou wasn't satisfied however, tears starting to well up in his eyes as his mom tried to push him-unsuccessfully-towards the group of children running around on the grass. _

"_Don't you want to go play with all the other kids? I'm sure you can make some friends today!" Shaking his head vehemently, Jou had tried hiding his body behind his mother's leg. _

_That was, until a young boy with wavy brown hair and big blue eyes ran up to him and smiled. "Hi there!" The boy had said, with a cheerful voice. "I'm Seth! Let's be friends!"_

_Holding out his hand, Seth had grinned brightly at Jou. Startled, Jou was frozen for a few seconds before his mom prodded him gently on the shoulder. _

"_I-I-I'm Jou." Jou stuttered shyly, reaching his hand out tentatively towards Seth. _

_Seth laughed and immediately grabbed Jou's hand, pulling him towards the others. "We're going to be best friends, Jou! I promise!"_

_Looking into the boy's bright yet gentle blue eyes, Jou immediately felt at home. "Okay! I promise to be the best friend ever!"_

"I was always shy as a kid. My hair was completely different from everyone else's, and kids used to make fun of me. You never did, though. You always told me that my hair was special, that I was unique. It was because of you that I was finally able to be more outgoing and make the friends I have today." Jou's hand went up into his hair as he spoke, his hands tugging gently on the strands of blond. "Remember when the other kids used to call me Corn-head? You were the only one that stood up for me that day."

_**Flashback**_

"_Hey, Corn-head! We're talking to you!" _

_Jou flinched at the tone of voice and tried to ignore the voices taunting and teasing him from the other side of the playground. He frowned down at the sandbox he was playing in, pushing his pail and shovel around in an attempt to drown out the voices of the other kids. _

"_Corn-head! Hello! You gotta help us settle an argument, which one are you: an alien or a freak?"_

_Cruel laughter drifted over towards Jou, and he whimpered as he pressed his hands tightly over his ears. _

"_Oh wait, I think we know-you're both!" _

_Shutting his eyes tightly, Jou felt the tears start to run down his cheeks. His lithe frame shook as he tried to ignore the mean words of the bullies that were directed so cruely towards him._

_Warm arms suddenly wrapped around his waist, and he felt himself being pressed into a hug. _

"_So what if his hair is different? I think it looks beautiful, like the sun!" Jou could hear Seth's voice, angry and loud as he responded to the bullies. "My mom always said if you didn't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"_

_Jou felt a blush coming on his cheek as he listened to Seth's words. He smiled as he thought about what Seth said-he thought his hair was beautiful._

_After a few moments, Seth turned so that he was facing Jou. "It's okay, they're gone now!" _

"_Thank you, Seth. I'm sorry that I'm such a burden on you…" Jou said quietly, barely meeting Seth's gaze._

_Letting out a cry of surprise as he felt Seth launch himself into his chest, Seth snorted and playfully hit Jou's shoulder. "What are best friends for? I wanted to protect you-you'd do the same for me!"_

"You were so strong, yet gentle. There wasn't anything that you couldn't do, in my opinion." Jou reached out and ran his fingers over the flowers gently. "We were best friends for so long…and we're still best friends now."

Reaching underneath his shirt, Jou pulled out the dog tags that always hung around his neck. Running his thumb over the cool metal, he felt the engraving on the side.

_**Best Buds Forever S & J**_

The dog tags were a gift from Seth when they started kindergarten. Seth told him that as long as they both wore them, they would never be far apart from each other.

"Even now, I feel you right here with me. It's like you're sitting right by my side, laying your head against my shoulder like we did all the time when we were little." Bringing the cold metal up to his lips, Jou gently kissed the engraved words.

"I still can't believe that you were taken from us…from your family, from your friends, from me. I don't ever forget the day that we heard the news…and that it's already been 5 years."

_**Flashback**_

_Jou's lips trembled as he wailed loudly. "THIS CAN'T BE! YOU'RE LYING! PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE LYING!"_

_Seth shook his head, biting his lip as his own tears started running down his cheeks. "I'm not lying, Jou…I'm sorry."_

_Jou forced himself to look into Seth's beautiful, calm blue eyes. The eyes that had once shone with energy and life, were now dull and tired. "I can't believe it…YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, SETH!"_

_For the past few months, Seth's body had started shutting down and deteriorating. In the beginning, it was the little things that was barely noticeable-Seth needed more sleep than normal, was eating a little less that usual, those sorts of things. _

_But then, his body became bruised easily and it hurt for him to move. He couldn't run as fast as he used to, and finally his family brought him into the hospital for a check up._

_That's when they had all received the shocking news. Seth was dying._

_The illness had been spreading through his body like wildfire, burning everything and anything in its way. The doctors were stunned, unable to do anything but inform the family that Seth only had a few more months left. _

_Seth kissed Jou's forehead, his shaky hands holding Jou's face tightly. "I want my last few months to be the happiest in my life, Jou. Please tell me you'll be here with me."_

_Through his tears, Jou had grabbed Seth's shirt and nodded, fire burning in his eyes. "I'll never leave you Seth. Not until they have to drag me away. I'll make sure that you're happy-every single moment."_

"I loved you, Seth. You were my protector, my guardian-my hero. It was like there was nothing you couldn't do." Jou's hands clasped tightly around the chain he was wearing. "I still love you, Seth. But I've finally been able to move on, and share the love that you said I still had to give."

_**Flashback**_

_The heart monitor was beeping slowly at the side of Seth's bed. Jou's hands were holding Seth's hand tightly, never letting go. _

_They had been talking about random things, when Seth suddenly became quiet. "Jou…I need to tell you something."_

_Jou had immediately stopped talking, looking up in alarm. "What is it Seth? Do you need something? Anything!"_

_Seth shook his head slightly as he turned to look at Jou. He looked so vulnerable and small lying in the bed, with tubes and wires extending from all around his body. His eyes, however, still held a small spark that Jou loved so much. _

"_I just need to tell you something, Jou." Seth took in a breath, shuddering slightly. "I love you, Jou."_

_Tears immediately started rolling down Jou's cheeks as he choked out a sob. "I love you too, Seth! I love you so much!" Face falling down into Seth's blankets, Jou continued to sob. "I don't want you to go! You can't leave me here alone!"_

_Seth's hand weakly reached out towards Jou's neck, fingering the chain and dog tag that always was under his shirt. Seeing what he was trying to do, Jou pulled the tag out from under his shirt and placed it into Seth's palm. "As long as you wear this, I'll always be here. I'm not leaving you, Jou." Smiling, Seth's eyes began to fill with tears. "I will be watching over you, I promise."_

_Jou's eyes continued to flood with moisture, and he couldn't stop the tears that were running down his face. "I know, Seth. You've been here for me all my life! I promise that I won't forget you, ever! I never will!" _

"_Promise me, Jou. Promise me that you will be happy-that you will find someone else to love and that you'll let yourself fall in love when you meet the right person." Seth's voice became serious, his eyes holding a rarely seen emotion. "Promise me."_

_Nodding, Jou pressed Seth's hands to his lips. "I promise." He promised, letting the tears flow onto Seth's hand. _

_Seth relaxed back into the pillows. With a final look at Jou, his lips curled up into one last smile. "I love you, Jou. Forever."_

_Jou barely heard the sound of the heart monitor going flat over his tears. Gripping Seth's hand painfully, he cried and cried-tears overflowing from his eyes, drowning his entire body in grief._

Seth died when they were both 14, before their last year of middle school. Jou remembered how difficult the next year was for him, and how much grief he had to deal with and how long it was before he finally smiled again.

It was his promise to Seth that always pushed him forward, always pushed him harder. It was Seth's words that fueled him with the determination to live his life fully and happily, to find love in the little things.

Things like the sun that shone brightly through his window every day, the laughter of children and adults alike as he strolled through the park. The light that was brought back into his life when he met Yugi, Yami, Tea, Tristan, and all the others in high school. The love that friendship taught him to feel again.

Of course, there was someone else too. Seto.

Jou entwined his fingers together as he laid them in his lap. "I guess it's time to tell you about Seto, huh?" Jou immediately felt a smile crawl across his face as he thought about his beloved CEO. "The first thing that really surprised me…was how much you two looked alike. Brown hair, intense blue eyes. I thought my heart was going to stop the first moment I laid eyes on him. Of course, there were still differences-Seto's hair was always perfectly structured and neat, and his eyes were like the deep blue of an ocean."

Jou thought back to the first days when he had met Seto Kaiba, the cold and ruthless CEO of Kaiba Corp. "When it came to personality, however…you two were polar opposites. You were always so open and kind, and Seto was always cold and aloof to everyone. Except his little brother, of course."

"You two are both extremely strong people, though. That's what attracted me to Seto, really. Sure, when I first met him, we always fought. But seeing how he protected his little brother and hearing about the past he had, it made me realize that he wasn't a bad person."

Closing his eyes, Jou felt the breeze drift over him again, calming him as it touched his skin. "I love him, Seth. It shocked me and everyone else when we got together, of course-I mean; we fought like cats and dogs. But he is special. He made me feel the same feelings that I had for you that I locked away for so long. He might be a cold person, but his eyes told the whole story. He has beautiful blue eyes, just like yours."

"You know, it's funny how you two look so similar, yet are so different. He's a good person, Seth. He loves his brother, works so hard at his job and school, and…" Jou's voice quieted down into a whisper, "he treats me like a treasure. Even when we fought, I could see that he wasn't a cruel person. Really, he only acts like that to protect himself. I was the same way, except I hid my true feelings behind a mask-pretending to be happy instead of the grief I truly was feeling."

"Seto saw through that. On the anniversary of your death, it was a particularly bad day for me. He forced me to tell him what was wrong-and I did. It was the first time I opened up completely to anyone. He's been healing me, Seth. The scars and patches of my heart won't ever be completed fixed or filled, but I don't feel the same gaping emptiness I used to feel."

"I wish I could see you right now, Seth. I wish that you would've been able to have the chance to fall in love, to live the rest of your life. But, you've taught me to treat life like a precious gift-and I know all too well how easy it is to be taken away."

Jou quietly sat until he saw the light of day fading away slowly into late afternoon. Standing up, he brushed his hands over his jeans and dusted them off. Bending down, he pressed a kiss to the tombstone.

_Seth Sennen_

_Beloved Son and Friend to All_

_May the happiness and spirit that always shined in his eyes never die_

"I love you, Seth. Always." With a final glance, Jou turned and began his walk back to the entrance.

Seto was waiting for him at the entrance, hands tucked in his trench coat as he quietly observed Jou. Reaching his lover, Jou pulled Seto's hands out of his coat and kissed them. "Hey, you."

Seto smiled. "Hey you yourself, puppy. Are you okay?"

Closing his eyes, Jou felt the breeze pick up again, wrapping around him in a gentle embrace. For a moment, he could almost feel Seth's arms around him.

"I will be."


End file.
